First federal charges filed after US Capitol riots
Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — At least two people are facing federal charges after Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to federal court documents filed. They are believed to be two of the first charges.
The documents give insight into some of what happened at the U.S. Capitol Complex on Wednesday.
One of the people charged was Mark Leffingwell. According to court filings, a U.S. Capitol Police officer said the man “punched me repeatedly with a closed fist.” He’s facing three federal charges including an assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
Leffingwell was among a group of people inside the Capitol trying to advance further on the Senate side of the building, according to the filing.
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Another charge filed against a man name Christopher Alberts is related to carrying a firearm on Capitol property.
The Maryland man was arrested after the D.C. mayor ordered a curfew to go into effect at 6 p.m. According to the statement of facts filed by a D.C. Metro Police officer, Alberts was carrying a Taurus G2C handgun, wearing a bulletproof vest and had a backpack containing a gas mask, first aid kit, knife and a packaged military meal-ready to eat. He also had additional ammunition attached to him, according to the court documents.
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The top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia said Thursday that “all options are on the table” for charging members of the violent pro-President Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol — including sedition charges.
Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for D.C., said prosecutors plan to file 15 federal cases on Thursday for crimes including unauthorized access and theft of property, and investigators are combing through reams of evidence to bring additional charges.
“All of those charges are on the table,” he said. “We’re not going to keep anything out of our arsenal for potential charges. We will bring the most maximum charges we can based upon the conduct.”
Sherwin said 40 other cases had already been filed in District of Columbia Superior Court.
More than 90 people have been arrested in Washington and more arrests are likely. U.S. attorneys from across the country have vowed to find and bring to justice any residents who participated in the insurrection aimed at thwarting the peaceful transfer of power. But it could take weeks to build cases against the rioters.
